Toledo Bend: Quick weekend getaway

For the first time since 2007, Toledo Bend Reservoir is higher than 171 feet during the month of August, making it easier to navigate for recreational users and more enticing for fishermen.

The lake at North Toledo Bend Park.(Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith/Gannett Louisiana)

TOLEDO BEND — The kids are settled back in school but there's still one last opportunity for a quick, late summer three-day family get-away as Labor Day draws near.

One option for those not wanting to venture too far from home is camping and fishing at Toledo Bend Reservoir. For the first time since 2007, the massive water body is higher than 171 feet mean sea level during the month of August, making it easier to navigate for recreational users and more enticing for fishermen. Prior to 2007, the last time the reservoir was this high was 1989.

Having a healthy lake level during the summer months is somewhat unusual in that Toledo Bend typically recedes from its shores because of a combination of summertime drought and hydro-electric power generation. That's not been the case this year.

The reservoir has steadily remained over 171 feet (172 feet is the top of the power pool) because of a mild summer, above average rainfall in areas that feed it and a change in the way Entergy and Cleco, the two companies benefiting from power generation, draw electricity from generation. Starting Oct. 1, however, generation will kick off again as the Sabine River Authority prepares to drop the reservoir to about 168 feet in preparation for the fall and winter rains.

In the meantime, two park sites — one each in DeSoto and Sabine parishes — offer different amenities for a weekend jaunt to celebrate the end of the season.

North Toledo Bend State Park, a 900-acre, state-run expanse along the reservoir's shores west of Zwolle, offers camping, picnicking, hiking, and relaxing. Campers can take advantage of the RV pads or camp sites, complete with water and electrical hookups, or rent cabins that can accommodate up to six people each.

"It's a peaceful and wonderful place. It is clean, and the workers and host are very nice. It is a well taken care RV park," said Cynthia Barnaby, of Mansfield. She and husband Paul have spent several weeks this year at North Toledo Bend State Park with other RV friends. They'll all return Labor Day weekend.

It's up the road in south DeSoto Parish at Oak Ridge Park where the greatest transformation has taken place along the banks of Toledo Bend. The 117-acre site primarily has offered a more primitive setting with limited camping opportunities.

In 2000, the Sabine River Authority constructed the first bathhouse and installed a sewer system. There were only 20 RV pads then.

But over the past four years, through a joint arrangement with the DeSoto Parish Police Jury, Oak Ridge Park has taken on a new life with double the RV pads and additional accommodations to suit overnight and extended stays.

The Police Jury committed $560,000 — broken down to $140,000 over four years — for the significant upgrades. A previously inaccessible forested area was carved out among a rolling hill and towering trees to add more concrete RV pads, bringing to 51 the total now available. All have water, electrical and sewer hookups. And asphalt roads replace dirt roads.

A pavilion with a laundry room, restrooms and showers was built nearby. It's already popular for family reunions, SRA Executive Director Jim Pratt said.

A second pavilion was constructed close to the reservoir's shore, and close by will be a children's playground that's still a work in progress. Also on the to-do list is construction of a fishing pier that will reach out into the reservoir. Oak Ridge is one of the few areas where visitors can easily fish along the shoreline.

Though the idea of a swimming beach has been tossed about, Pratt said it's not likely because the shallow shore is susceptible to floating debris and mats of giant salvinia coming from the north. He's mulling other opportunities for children's activities.

Because of the improvements, four jobs also have been created. Before, there was no need for attendants because most of the visitors were fishermen looking for a place to launch their boats or teens seeking a hangout.

Now, the site is secured and gated. The attendants, all DeSoto Parish residents, are available to direct visitors and see to any needs at the park. One also is a host camper, meaning she is available 24/7.

"It's a big difference from where it was. But it wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of the Police Jury," Pratt said.

(Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith/Gannett Louisiana)

If you go

North Toledo Bend State Park

2907 N. Toledo Park Road, Zwolle

Where to stay: Improved camp sites with water and electrical: $18 nightly, October to March; $22 nightly, April to September; Premium camp sites: $20/$28 during the same time frame; Cabins: 10 available; $120 nightly October to March; $150 nightly on Fridays and Saturdays, April to September.